Harrisonburg was named after founder Thomas Harrison, who settled at the crossroads of an Indian path and the Spotswood Trail about 1739. Supplying lands for municipal expansion, Harrison's two sons followed a tradition set by their father when he donated land to Rockingham County for the erection of a courthouse in 1779.

General Turner Ashby, one of the most respected Confederate officers of the Valley Campaign, fell in battle at Harrisonburg on June 6, 1862, while protecting General "Stonewall" Jackson's approach to Port Republic.

Harrisonburg lies in an area of the Shenandoah Valley noted for its turkey production, vistas, many caverns and prime fishing waters.